Lionel Messi has shown himself to be less than happy with some of the tackling from some of the France contingent at the Stade Veledrome yesterday evening.

Messi, who scored a brilliant goal as Argentina won 2-0 on the night, was the subject of a few tough tackles and he singled out Lassana Diarra for some of his challenges.

Speaking to Sport, he also acknowledged that whilst he was pleased with his performance, there was some uncharacteristically tough play for a friendly.

"They played very strong, not just with me, but with all my team-mates," he declared.

"It was a good and special win against a big team."

Messi was the heartbeat of the Argentina side, just like he has been for Barcelona this season, and his performance was capped off by the late goal.

The youngster received the ball from Carlos Tevez and then in a fashion that drew inevitable comparisons to Diego Maradona, who was on the sideline, beat his man with ease and drilled across goal.

Despite the praise though, he commented after the game that he was not yet at the same level with the national team as he is with Barcelona.